Handgun firing mechanism and safety therefor

ABSTRACT

An expendable handgun with a handle hingedly mounted on the rear portion thereof. A detent mechanism is included which locks the handle in either a safety position or a firing position. The detent mechanism has detent pins which are in force transmission relationship with a firing pin spring and which compress the spring when the handle is forced into a firing position which compression results from the action of cam surfaces formed on the upper portion of the handle moving the detent pins forward. In the the safety position, the handle covers an included triggering mechanism and causes the detent mechanism to decompress the firing pin spring so as to &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;disarm&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; the handgun.

Elnited States Patent H 13,ss3,08s

Inventors Gert Buck Bad Reichenhall; Erwin Niessner; Rudiger Van Acken, both of Nuenburg, all of, Germany Appl. No. 807,014 Filed Mar. 13, 1969 Patented June 8, 1971 Assignee Messrs. Buck K. G.

Bad Reichenhall, Germany Priority Mar. 14, 1968 Germany P 16 78 606.4

HANDGUN FIRING MECHANISM AND SAFETY THEREFOR are in force transmission relationshi with a firin in s rin 5 Claims 4 Drawmg Figs and which compress the spring when the handle is f rced intg US. Cl ..42/70, 42/l a firing position which compression results from the action of cam surfaces formed on the upper portion of the handle mov- Int. Cl F41c 3/02, ing the detent pins forward. In the the safety position, the han- F4lc 17/00, F4lc 19/00 dle covers an included triggering mechanism and causes the Field of Search 42/1 F, l G, detent mechanism to decompress the firing pin spring so as to l H, l I, 69, 7O disarm the handgun.

l tb A 13 [56] References Cited Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan Attorney-Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis ABSTRACT: An expendable handgun with a handle hingedly mounted on the rear portion thereof. A detent mechanism is included which locks the handle in either a safety position or a firing position. The detent mechanism has detent pins which HANDGUN FIRING MECHANISM AND SAFETY THEREFOR GENERAL BACKGROUND, OBJECTS, AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention relates to a hand-operated firearm, more especially for bullets having an incendiary, explosive or smoke action.

Such firearms have been developed as small, light, expendable handguns, in order to be able to provide the soldier with a handgun for close-range use, in addition to his normal equip ment, said handgun being of very small weight and being thrown away after firing.

Known appliances of this type comprise a barrel with a diameter of 30 to 40 mm. and a length from 300 to 500 mm., on the base of which is screwed a firing mechanism with cylindrical housing and containing a firing pin and a primer. The firing pin, of which the spring is tensioned, even when the firearm is safe. is released by pressure applied by the hand holding the rear part of the firearm on a press button extending laterally of the housing of the firing mechanism.

In such cases, the hand firing the shot can contribute little to taking up the recoil, so that the recoil has to be absorbed almost entirely by the right hand which is gripping the firearm further forward. The amount of the recoil which can be withstood by the soldier and thus the range of the device are consequently limited.

The invention has for its object a hand-operated firearm of the type hereinbefore mentioned, which is so constructed that the soldier can absorb a substantially greater recoil than is possible with known firearms of this type. As a result, the cost of manufacture of the firearm is to be kept low. Furthermore, a higher safety in transport is to be obtained than that which exists with the known firearms.

This is achieved according to the invention by the housing of the firing mechanism having articulated thereon a hinged handle or grip which is adapted to be secured by a detent device under the pressure of the firing pin spring in a position hinged alongside the firing barrel when the firearm is being carried and in an outwardly hinged position when the firearm is ready for firing, the firing pin spring being moved from its detensioned or substantially detensioned position into the tensioned position by said detent device on swinging the grip into its outwardly hinged position.

According to other expedient features of the invention, the hinged grip comprises detent notches for cooperation with de tent pins, which are fixed on a displaceable rear abutment for the firing pin spring, and between which is arranged a tensioning cam for the firing pin spring.

The rear abutment for the firing pin spring preferably consists of a safety sleeve, which engages, in the safe position, over a sliding safety catch for the firing pin.

The hinged grip can moreover be used for further increasing the carrying safety of the firearm. This is achieved by the trigger mechanism acting on the safety catch comprising an intermediate lever and a trigger member which is pivotably connected to the latter and which, on hinging the hinged grip alongside the firing barrel, is swung upwardly by said grip and covered, while it falls back into its position ready for firing when the hinged grip is hinged outwardly.

The hinged grip is preferably so rounded in cross section that it is fitted to the curvature ofthe hand.

DRAWINGS One preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way ofexample in the drawing, wherein:

FIG. l is a longitudinal section through the firearm with the firing mechanism in the safe position and the hinged grip hinged inwardly;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the firearm ready for firing;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the firearm;

FIG. 4 is a cross section through the firearm along A-B of FIG. 2.

The housing 11 of the firing mechanism is screwed on the rear end of the firing barrel 10 of the firearm. It projects with an extension 11a, in which is secured the primer holder 12 with the primer 13, for example, by a screw connection, into the firing barrel 10. The housing 11 is closed at the rear end by a cover 14, e.g. a screw-threaded cover.

The cover 14 comprises an extension 140, formed with a bore 14b into which the firing pin 15 extends in its locked position with its rear end comprising an annular groove 15a. It is locked in this position by a sliding safety catch 16, which has an opening 16a with a narrower portion and a wider portion. The safety catch 16 is inserted in recesses of the cover extension 14a, said recesses extending into the region of the bore 14b and being guided by one of the ribs 14d of the cover extension 14a existing between the recesses [40. The rim parts of the narrower portion of the safety catch opening 16a engage in the annular groove 15a of the firing pin 15. The wider portion of the opening permits the sudden advance of the firing pin 15, acted upon by the firing pin spring 17, into its firing position.

The trigger member 18 is pivotably connected to the intermediate lever l9 acting on the safety catch 16 and is adapted to be hinged against the firing barrel 10.

A hinged handle or grip 21 is articulated on the housing 11 of the firing mechanism by means of bolts or screws 20, said grip having a rounded cross-sectional form, so that it is fitted to the curvature of the hand. When carrying the firearm, the hinged grip is in its position hinged alongside the firing barrel 10, in which it covers the upwardly hinged trigger member 18 and the intermediate lever 19. It is held in this position by detent pins 22, which are provided with operating knobs 22a and engage in detent notches 21a of the hinged grip 21. The detent pins 22, guided in longitudinal slots 11b of the housing 11 of the firing mechanism, are fixed on the safety sleeve 23, through which extends the firing pin 15 and which forms the rearward abutment for the firing pin spring 17. With the grip hinged alongside the firing barrel 10, the safety sleeve 23, comprising a slot 23a for the passage of the intermediate trigger lever 19, is disposed in its rearward position engaging over the safety catch 16 and secured against displacement, the firing pin spring 17 being without tension in this position.

When the firearm is made ready for firing, the hinged grip 21 is swung out into the position shown in FIG. 2. In this position, the safety sleeve 23, because of the detent pins 22 sliding on the tensioning cams 21b of the grip 21, is moved into its forward arming" position releasing the safety catch 16, the firing pin spring 17 being simultaneously tensioned. By entry of the detent pins 22 into the detent notches 21c, the hinged grip 21 becomes locked in this position, as seen from the position of the grip 21 in broken lines in FIG. 3. When no shot is fired, the hinged grip 21, after pressing the detent pins 22 out of the detent notches 21c, can be hinged back into the position shown in FIG. 1, the safety sleeve 23 again reaching its safe position and the firing pin spring being detensioned.

What We claim is: 1

l. A handgun comprising:

a. a barrel;

b. a firing mechanism fixed to one end of said barrel;

0. a housing for said firing mechanism;

d. said firing mechanism having 1. a primer;

2. a firing pin;

3. a firing pin spring for driving said firing pin into said primer;

e. a handle hingedly mounted on said housing;

I. detent means for locking said handle in one of several positions;

g. said detent means being in force transmission relationship with said firing pin spring;

h. said detent means operable to lock said handle in a safety position alongside said barrel and to decompress said firing pin spring when said handle is forced into the safety position; and

i. said detent means further operable to lock said handle in an outward firing position and to compress said firing pin spring in readiness for firing when said handle is forced into the outward position.

A handgun according to claim 1 wherein said detent means includes:

an. a 7.7.

at least two detent notches formed on said handle; displaceable abutment means adjacent the rear of said fir ing pin spring;

. detent pins fixed to said abutment means whereby said detent pins are in force transmission relationship with said firing pin spring;

. cam means formed on said handle between said at least two detent notches; and

v said cam means operable to move said detent pins against the compression force of said firing pin spring when said handle is forced into the outward position. A handgun according to claim 2 wherein:

. said firing mechanism includes a sliding catch member for releasably holding said firing pin;

said displaceable abutment member comprises a safety sleeve; and

, said safety sleeve engages over said sliding catch member said trigger member being swung upwardly and covered by said handle when said handle is forced into the safety position; and

said trigger member dropping back into a firing position when said handle is forced into the firing position.

A handgun according to claim I wherein said handle is generally rounded in cross section so as to fit the curvature of ones hand.

A'nn'lu mun 

1. A handgun comprising: a. a barrel; b. a firing mechanism fixed to one end of said barrel; c. a housing for said firing mechanism; d. said firing mechanism having
 1. a primer;
 2. a firing pin;
 3. a firing pin spring for driving said firing pin into said primer; e. a handle hingedly mounted on said housing; f. detent means for locking said handle in one of several positions; g. said detent means being in force transmission relationship with said firing pin spring; h. said detent means operable to lock said handle in a safety position alongside said barrel and to decompress said firing pin spring when said handle is forced into the safety position; and i. said detent means further operable to lock said handle in an outward firing position and to compress said firing pin spring in readiness for firing when said handle is forced into the outward position.
 2. a firing pin;
 2. A handgun according to claim 1 wherein said detent means includes: a. at least two detent notches formed on said handle; b. displaceable abutment means adjacent the rear of said firing pin spring; c. detent pins fixed to said abutment means whereby said detent pins are in force transmission relationship with said firing pin spring; d. cam means formed on said handle between said at least two detent notches; and e. said cam means operable to move said detent pins against the compression force of said firing pin spring when said handle is forced into the outward position.
 3. a firing pin spring for driving said firing pin into said primer; e. a handle hingedly mounted on said housing; f. detent means for locking said handle in one of several positions; g. said detent means being in force transmission relationship with said firing pin spring; h. said detent means operable to lock said handle in a safety position alongside said barrel and to decompress said firing pin spring when said handle is forced into the safety position; and i. said detent means further operable to lock said handle in an outward firing position and to compress said firing pin spring in readiness for firing when said handle is forced into the outward position.
 3. A handgun according to claim 2 wherein: a. said firing mechanism includes a sliding catch member for releasably holding said firing pin; b. said displaceable abutment member comprises a safety sleeve; and c. said safety sleeve engages over said sliding catch member when said handle is in the safety position.
 4. A handgun according to claim 3 wherein: a. said firing mechanism further includes a trigger mechanism for moving said sliding catch member to release said firing pin; b. said trigger mechanism comprising an intermediate member and a trigger member pivotally attached thereto; c. said trigger member being swung upwardly and covered by said handle when said handle is forced into the safety position; and d. said trigger member dropping back into a firing position when said handle is forced into the firing position.
 5. A handgun according to claim 1 wherein said handle is generally rounded in cross section so as to fit the curvature of one''s hand. 